With the development of information industry, apparatus for inputting and processing image is now more and more important in information processing. Examples of the image input/processing apparatus are scanner, facsimile machine and copy machine which all possess an optic scanning element to project a light beam onto a document to be read and receive the reflected beam to obtain the image on the document. Some of these devices are divided into (1) flat bed type which has a scanning window on which the document to be scanned is supported with the scanning element being movable to scan through the whole window in order to obtain the complete image on the document and (2) paper feed-in type which comprises an opening (usually elongated) to feed the document to be scanned into the apparatus in which a scanning element is fixed, the document being moved to pass through the scanning element in order to have the whole document scanned by the scanning element. The image after having been scanned and read by the apparatus is processed for further use.
The image input/processing apparatus usually requires a user to set the operation parameters of the apparatus first before a scanning operation is performed. Usually, there are two ways to set up the apparatus. The first one is using a computer to which the image input/processing apparatus is connected to set the control parameters. Another way is using a plurality of switches provided on the apparatus. Both ways require sophisticated operation which may be difficult to the general consumers.
Thus, it is desirable to have a control parameter setting device to be incorporated in an image input/processing apparatus which allows the user to readily and easily set the control parameters of the image input/processing apparatus.